Cannabis Withdrawal

Fortunately marijuana withdrawal is not Dangerous, however, stopping cannabis usage can produce withdrawal symptoms for those users that have become dependant.

So what happens when pot users decide to quit?

People trying to give up cannabis can experience symptoms that are very similar to those experienced by people trying to give up smoking tobacco – irritability, sleeping difficulties, anxiety, and cravings, although these should peak after approximately 3 days.

The main symptoms of marijuana withdrawal are:

anxiety

cravings

decreased appetite

depressed mood

disturbed sleep

gastro-intestinal symptoms

irritability

restlessness

These withdrawal symptoms can make giving up cannabis very difficult! So how can users ease the stress of withdrawal?

Most symptoms are related to duration of use, frequency of use, and the strength of the cannabis used. So, the longer users have used marijuana, the more difficult the withdrawal.

Before users stop using cannabis they need to examine the main reasons that they are using it. Is it being used to cope with stress or anxiety? Often the underlying issues need to be looked at and changes may need to be made where possible. Reduction of use is difficult and will often lead to relapse, complete cessation is usually more successful, although multiple attempts are often required.

For some of the milder detoxing symptoms, a few home remedies have proven to be useful. These can include:

Reducing or eliminating caffeine

Drinking cranberry juice

Drinking plenty of water

Eliminating fat from the diet

Excessive sweating can deplete the body of potassium, an important mineral for the body. So eating foods high in potassium can help.

Warm milk can help with sleep, due to the tryptophan content.

Getting to sleep can also be helped by staying away from screens, as these give off a blue light that prevents our bodies from releasing melatonin and melatonin helps us sleep.